The Midlands & the Marches
The ancestral home of the Spencer family, Althorp House – pronounced 'altrup' – is the final resting place of Diana, Princess of Wales, commemorated by a memorial. The outstanding art collection features works by Rubens, Gainsborough and Van Dyck. Profits go to charities supported by the Princess Diana Memorial Fund.
Althorp is off the A428, 5.5 miles northwest of Northampton, and is not served by public transport; a taxi costs around £20.
25.43 MILES
Founded in 1068 by William the Conqueror, stunningly preserved Warwick Castle is Warwick's main attraction.
King Richard III: Dynasty, Death & Discovery
25 MILES
Built following the incredible 2012 discovery and 2013 DNA testing of King Richard III's remains, Leicester's high-tech King Richard III visitor centre…
23.57 MILES
The evocative ruins of St Michael's Cathedral, built around 1300 but destroyed by Nazi incendiary bombs in the Blitz, stand as a memorial to Coventry's…
23.69 MILES
This stupendous museum has hundreds of vehicles, from horseless carriages to jet-powered, land-speed-record breakers. There's a brushed-stainless-steel…
17.74 MILES
The glorious Stowe Gardens were shaped in the 18th century by Britain's greatest landscape gardeners. Among them was master landscape architect Lancelot …
25.04 MILES
Pride of place at this substantial medieval cathedral goes to the contemporary limestone tomb atop the vault where the remains of King Richard III were…
25.9 MILES
This spine-tingling ruin sprawls among fields and hedges on Kenilworth's outskirts. Built in the 1120s, the castle survived the longest siege in English…
26.28 MILES
Although British space missions usually launch from French Guiana or Kazakhstan, Leicester's space museum is a fascinating introduction to the mysteries…
1. Church of the Holy Sepulchre
4.87 MILES
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is one of the few surviving round churches in the country. It was founded when the first Earl of Northampton, Simon de…
5.08 MILES
Constructed after the 1675 fire, with an ornate barrel-vaulted ceiling and dark-wood organ and reredos, All Saints' Church owes an obvious debt to the…
5.11 MILES
West of the central Market Sq, St Peter's Church is a marvellous Norman edifice built in 1150 and adorned with ancient carvings. The sign on the door…
5.15 MILES
Built between 1861 and 1864, Northampton's landmark Guildhall is adorned with carvings and 14 statues of monarchs, local luminaries and patron saints,…
5. Northampton Museum & Art Gallery
5.18 MILES
The history of shoemaking and footwear fashions is covered at this century-and-a-half-old museum. It's closed for renovations until early 2020; check the…
10.27 MILES
A converted corn mill houses the entertaining Canal Museum, which charts the history of the canal network and its bargemen, lock-keepers and pit workers…
13.12 MILES
A bronze-cast statue of William Webb Ellis stands outside the main Rugby School gates. It's the work of sculptor Graham Ibbeson who installed it here in…
8. Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum
13.13 MILES
Intriguing exhibits at this little museum include the evolution of the ball and historic team photos from the Webb Ellis Cup (aka the Rugby World Cup). It…